The present invention relates to tool holders, and is concerned with heavy duty tool holders of the nature such as are employed for heavy turning operations and the like.
In performing heavy turning operations, cutting inserts are naturally subjected to considerable wear and abuse and require frequent indexing or replacement. At the same time, when doing heavy duty turning, considerable heat can be generated in the tool holder, especially at the cutting insert end and, more particularly still, directly in the cutting insert.
Thus, it is sometimes difficult for an operator quickly to replace a worn cutting insert when the tool has been carrying out heavy turning operations.
It is also the case that tools of the nature referred to are sometimes employed for numerically controlled machining operations and, in such cases, it is important to have the insert positioned precisely on the tool holder. Inserts can vary somewhat dimensionally, and when a machine is employed for numerically controlled machining operations, it is desirable to be able to preset the insert in a holding device externally of the machine tool and then the insert and the holding device can be placed in the machine tool in an accurate position.
The tool holder described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,980,443, and owned by the assignee, is an example of tool holders that have been designed to meet the above-mentioned needs of industry. The tool holder of the present invention has been greatly simplified with regard to either cost of manufacture, simplicity of operation, or both.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a quick change type of tool holder that is extremely simplified in operation yet very solidly constructed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a quick change type of tool holder that is less costly to produce.